Valfaris is a heavy metal shooter in an overgrown neon apocalypse
by Amr (@siegarettes)
- Valfaris
- Developer: Steel Mantis
- Publisher: Big Sugar
- Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Bathed in blood and neon, Valfaris presents a vision of the heavy metal apocalypse that’s lush and overgrown. Machines are as likely to have arteries as they are circuits, and the industrial environments are infected with prismatic wildlife. The overdrawn, overstimulated flora and fauna can sometimes obscure your path, but your objective is always clear: slaughter everything in your path.
Valfaris’ action is straightforward, but balanced with several layers of risk and reward. Your primary weapons are a long range firearm and sword, supported by a power weapon and shields, which both draw power from your energy reserves. Firearms keep a comfortable distance between you and the enemies, and power weapons give you a boost that can figuratively and literally melt enemies. Shields can be timed to catch and reflect projectiles, and parry melee strikes. Energy doesn’t regenerate, so to keep the onslaught manageable you’ll have to get up close and refill it with melee strikes, creating a loop that forces you to balance powerful ranged attacks with close range action.
To keep things tense, checkpoints themselves challenge you to go for greater risks. Resurrection stones are required to activate each checkpoint, but if you can make it to the next section without spending them, you can hang onto them and increase your maximum health instead.
Checkpoints themselves are frequent and well spaced, which is good, since Valfaris follows the philosophy of older arcade style games, with each checkpoint denoting a space or setpiece to be mastered. Navigating the areas between each checkpoints will require an intimacy with the space, clean shooting, and a cool head. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the fauna of Valfaris, and it usually took me a good few attempts to formulate a plan of attack and work out an appropriate arsenal to carry with me. There’s plenty of new weapons to pick up along the way, but only one of each type can be carried at a time, so each loadout changes your approach.
Valfaris has a strong focus on repetition and slowly practicing that approach until you nail that performance. It’s a carefully managed play between you and the enemies set to thunderous drums and electric guitars. Each space goads you into betting your confidence against the planet’s hazards.
It’s heavy, solid, and achieves everything it sets out to do with flair and confidence. A cathartic bath of heavy metal, crushed skulls, and iron blooded machines.
